A New Parental Reality: Hoping to Cope

I am about to embark on new territory. I have never been in this position before. I realize now, just how privileged I have been for a long time. But with the down turn in the economy, that position of privilege has gone.

Specifically, I have never missed my kid’s performances. They might be in a play, a dance, a track meet, or a multitude of other athletic events. Now, I
am missing them. Work has forced me to leave the comforts of my virtual office, conveniently planned travel, and flexible scheduling. When my son’s basketball schedule came out, I discovered that there was not one game that I could attend. The thought of missing a whole season of his work hurts.

I suppose there are parents for whom this is common. In fact, this is the plight of most parents, I am sure. I have been the lucky one for a long time and I need to be grateful. However, I wonder if other parents simply get used to the busyness of their schedules or, does missing their kids performances and competitions gnaw at them until they’re numb to it?

At this point, I’m listening to and learning from others who have lived family life this way for some time now. This is still new to me. We’ll see how it goes.